Think It’s Glaucoma? What to Know – And When to See an Eye Doctor   

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Glaucoma is an eye condition that can cause permanent eye damage and even full blindness. Unfortunately, there are many people who don’t know how to protect themselves from glaucoma, or even recognize the signs of glaucoma. If you’re experiencing symptoms of an eye condition, or have a family history of glaucoma, it’s important to consult with your eye doctor in Riverdale NJ. Educating yourself about glaucoma can help you avoid problems. Here’s what to know.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a condition caused by increased pressure in the eye. This pressure can cause damage to the optic nerve. There are several types of glaucoma, but all types can cause irreversible damage to your eyes and vision. Untreated glaucoma can cause permanent damage, so it’s important to see your eye doctor regularly to get diagnosis and treatment.

Who Is At Risk?

There are many variables that can put you at greater risk for glaucoma.

  • Age – people over age 60 are at greater risk of contracting glaucoma
  • Genetics – If members of your family have had glaucoma, you could be at greater risk
  • Medical status – Some medical conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure can put you at risk for glaucoma
  • Eye health – People who are very nearsighted for farsighted are also at risk for glaucoma
  • Medications – Certain medications can also put you at risk for developing glaucoma

There are other factors that can also put you at risk for developing glaucoma, so talk to your eye doctor to find out if you are at risk.

Glaucoma Symptoms

Symptoms of glaucoma can be very subtle. In fact, in the earliest stages, some types of glaucoma have no symptoms at all. Your eye doctor can detect whether you have glaucoma, even if you have no symptoms. Getting checked regularly for glaucoma and other conditions can help you determine whether you have this condition. Symptoms include:

  • Eye pain
  • Very bad headache
  • Blurry vision
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Eye redness

When Should You See An Eye Doctor

See your eye doctor regularly. Comprehensive eye exams in Riverdale NJ can help you determine whether you suffer from a condition like glaucoma. To make an appointment, call Riverdale Vision Care today.

 

The Importance of Glaucoma Testing as You Age

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Did you know glaucoma is a very common condition in America? Millions of people develop glaucoma throughout their lifetimes, and left untreated, may lose their vision completely. Glaucoma happens when the pressure behind the eye increases to the point where it damages the optic nerve. There is no known cure for glaucoma, but if your vision specialist catches it early on, treatment can help prevent total blindness. Those over age 40 should have regular vision exams to help catch the onset of glaucoma before irreparable damage occurs.

What Causes Glaucoma?

It’s unclear exactly why some people develop glaucoma and others do not. Scientists do know that genetics plays a role. This means if others in your family suffer from glaucoma, your chances of developing it increase. Glaucoma is also linked to other chronic diseases, such as diabetes. As you age, it’s more important than ever to be tested for glaucoma annually.

Is Glaucoma Painful?

The symptoms of glaucoma may be completely painless, which is why many fail to recognize the signs before it’s too late. Symptoms include:

  • Blind spots in your central vision
  • Blind spots in your peripheral vision
  • Narrowing tunnel vision

Other signs of glaucoma may become increasingly painful as the disease progresses. These include:

  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Blurred vision
  • Eye pain
  • Bloodshot eyes
  • Halos or auras around lights

If you’re experiencing one or more of the symptoms of glaucoma, especially if you’re older, see your vision specialist right away. Glaucoma is the number one cause of blindness in individuals over the age of 60. By receiving an early diagnosis, you can begin treatments to help prevent the condition from worsening.

What is the Treatment for Glaucoma?

Treatment for glaucoma includes medication, laser procedures, eye drops, exercises, and surgery. The object is to reduce the amount of pressure in the eye by removing excess fluid. If you have glaucoma, you may need treatment for the rest of your life to halt its progression.

In Riverdale, NJ, contact Riverdale Vision Care for glaucoma screening and treatment. Prevention is the key to preserving the vision you have left. Call today for an initial consultation and treatment recommendations.

 

Glaucoma Riverdale NJ

What You Need to Know about Glaucoma

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As we explained in an earlier blog post on glaucoma, “the silent thief of sight,” increased intraocular pressure causes damage to the optic nerve. This nerve is responsible for transmitting images to your brain.

If the condition goes untreated, glaucoma can cause a total loss of vision within a few years. But even with treatment, about 15% of people with glaucoma become blind in at least one eye within 20 years, according to Mayo Clinic.

Types of glaucoma

While the first two conditions are the most frequently experienced, glaucoma can take several forms.

1) Open-angle glaucoma is the most common manifestation of the disease. A partial blockage in the area of tissue located around the base of the cornea causes a gradual increase of pressure in the eye.

2) Angle-closure glaucoma is more common in Asia than in the West. A narrowing in the drain space between the iris and cornea causes a sudden buildup of pressure. People with narrow drainage angles are at increased risk for this type of glaucoma.

3) Normal-tension glaucoma occurs when the optic never is damaged even though eye pressure is normal. As of 2019, the cause of this condition is unknown. It may be due to insufficient blood flow to the nerve caused by arterial plaque or other circulatory conditions.

4) Glaucoma in infants and children is sometimes present at birth. Other times, optic nerve damage develops in the first few years of life. This can be due to drainage blockages or other underlying medical conditions.

5) Pigmentary glaucoma is a condition in which pigment granules from the iris collect in the drainage channels, preventing fluid from exiting the eye.

Who is at risk for glaucoma?

Some segments of the population have an increased chance of developing glaucoma. Because vision loss can occur before any symptoms are noticed, it’s important to be aware of the following risk factors.

  • Are of Asian, African-American, Hispanic, Irish, Russian, Scandinavian, or Inuit descent
  • Have a family history of glaucoma
  • Are over age 60
  • Have poor vision, especially extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness
  • Have corneas that are thin in the center
  • Have certain medical conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and sickle cell anemia
  • Take certain corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone, or use eye drops for a long period of time
  • Have had blunt or chemical trauma to the eye
  • Have experienced a severe eye infection
  • Have had eye surgery to correct another condition

Here at Riverdale Vision Care, we offer the latest in imaging technology to help diagnose early glaucoma. Since early detection can prevent vision loss, it’s important that you schedule your yearly eye exam.

Glaucoma: The Silent Thief of Sight

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Glaucoma is known to be the silent thief of sight.  Glaucoma is a disease where the eye’s optic nerve gets damaged generally due to pressure buildup within, resulting in progressive and irreversible loss of vision. What is alarming about glaucoma is that in the early to middle stages of the disease, you will not experience any symptoms, even if you have lost vision. This is because glaucoma begins by taking away our peripheral (or side) vision before it starts to reduce our central vision, potentially to the point of blindness. Humans are not very in-tune with what is going on off to the sides of our vision; we are more in-tune with what is straight ahead. This is why glaucoma is known as the silent thief of sight. But the good news is that glaucoma can be diagnosed during a comprehensive eye exam and is treatable.  

Often, glaucoma is caused by high pressure inside the eye that damages the optic nerve, but you can have glaucoma even with “normal” eye pressure.  Eye pressure is measured at your eye exam, typically with a device that quickly and lightly puffs air at your eye (yes, we know this test is a nuisance, but now you know how important it is!) or by using a yellow drop in the eye and a blue light. While this gives our eye doctor some information as to your risk for glaucoma, glaucoma is not diagnosable just through a single test.  At your eye exam, we also look directly at your optic nerve to determine if it looks healthy or potentially sick. If findings on an eye exam look “suspicious” for glaucoma, there are additional tests available to help us diagnose the condition.

Treatment options for glaucoma range from daily eye drops to laser procedures (not to be confused with LASIK) to more involved eye surgeries.  The goal of treatment is to slow the progressive loss of vision as there is no “cure” to fully stop glaucoma.

While glaucoma incidence increases with age, patients of any age can develop glaucoma. Having a close relative such as a sibling or parent with glaucoma may mean you are at a higher risk for developing the disease.

Here at Riverdale Vision Care, we offer the latest in technology to help diagnose early glaucoma.  Ocular coherence tomography (OCT) is a diagnostic test that counts up the number of nerve cells that form your optic nerve, and gives us some idea if you have a normal or low amount of nerve cells. A low number of nerve cells may indicate glaucoma. We offer this imaging technology as an optional part of your comprehensive eye exam to screen for early detection of glaucoma which may not show up on other “routine” tests.  It is a wonderful tool to see if “things are getting worse” because we can repeat it over time and see if your nerve cell counts are declining from disease development or progression. Since early detection of glaucoma can prevent vision loss, it is important that you schedule your yearly eye exam. There is no better time to have your exam than January which is Glaucoma Awareness Month. Don’t wait until it is too late to save your vision!